By Leo Marchandon
Oct 28 – Software maker Dassault Systèmes on Wednesday raised its 2026 revenue and margin targets after its third-quarter revenue rose 5% to €1.55 billion ($1.73 billion).
The upgrade, the French software group’s first in two years, signals that a slowdown dating back to 2023 may have bottomed out.
Dassault now expects revenue to grow 4-5% this year, up from the previous view of 3-5%, and it has lifted its operating margin target to 32.5-32.7% from 32.2-32.6%.
Revenue growth has been accelerating each quarter in 2026, from 3% in the January-March period to 5% in July-September, Chief Financial Officer Rouven Bergmann said in a call with analysts.
The group’s operating earnings grew 10% to €490 million in the quarter, lifting the margin to 31.6% from 30.1% a year ago.
The company, which completed its $1.8 billion purchase of life-sciences software maker ArisGlobal in September, said the deal would add two percentage points to its fourth-quarter growth forecast of 5-8%.
For 2027, ArisGlobal is projected to grow in double digits, Bergmann said.
($1 = 0.8981 euros)
(Reporting by Leo Marchandon in Gdansk, editing by Izabela Niemiec)
